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Laughing, I stand, grabbing Emma’s hand to help her up. I can tell she’s still weak and I want to talk to William to get an update on her health. “Can you bring it up later? If William is up for a run, I’ll eat it after.” My gaze moves to his.
His smile broadens. “Oh you know it, blondie. But be prepared. I run at least five miles a day.” He cocks a brow, crossing his arms over his chest. “Think you can keep up?”
Emma is on her feet, looking back and forth between us. Before I can answer, she says, “My money is on Miss Irelynn. She looks pretty determined.”
William pretends to look offended, grabbing Emma’s other arm. “I’m hurt. What am I, chopped liver? You two have some female bonding thing going on.” His words are teasing, but Emma and I exchange a loaded glance.
If he only knew.
We walk her to the door and I’m surprised when William nods at me to step out first. Once I’m outside, I wait for him to help her out, then we guide her to the stairway. My eyes meet his over Emma’s head. I’m shocked he’s letting me take her downstairs, figuring he’d have Bryan come up instead.
Scanning my surroundings intently due to Emma’s slow pace, I soak in every detail. The house is quite beautiful and there’s a hint of the smell of paint and new lumber mixed in with the scent of new flooring as we head downstairs. I also distinctively smell William in every room, the scent of his cologne clinging to the house, as if to tell me who it belongs to.
When we reach the landing, William points to the left and we walk down the hallway into an airy, open kitchen. I’m shocked at how light and modernized everything is, although I shouldn’t be surprised. William is definitely a man with opulent tastes.
He gives me an amused grin as I gape around the kitchen. Emma’s smile widens and she pulls from my arm, heading to Bryan. I didn’t even notice him sitting at the kitchen table, a laptop open in front of him, until Emma bends down and kisses him on the cheek. “Hey, son.” She squeezes his cheek, and he gives her a warm smile.
“Hey, mom. How are you feeling today? And don’t lie.” He glances at William, and they share a grin.
Emma grabs a towel and swats him. “Don’t sass me, son.” Rolling her eyes, she heads to this decadent looking chocolate cake, a glass dome enclosure over it. My mouth waters.
William lightly bumps my elbow with his. “I think you have a little bit of drool on the corners of your lips.” His voice is low, meant only for my ears.
I can barely pull my gaze from the cake as Emma pulls off the lid, cutting a big slice for Bryan. “A little?” I finally moved my gaze to his. “I’m surprised there isn’t a puddle below me on the floor.”
William laughs so hard that Emma and Brian stop what they are doing and look over at us. I can’t help the big grin on my face. I’ve never heard William laugh so hard.
“Sorry, Will is just teasing me about drooling over the cake.” I jerk my thumb in his direction. Like a magnet, I’m drawn to it. “Emma, could I have a tiny bite before I run?” Hearing William snickering behind me, I throw him a look, my brows drawn. “Be quiet over there.” I grin, then turn around to find Emma holding out a fork in front of me, a huge bite of cake on it. Quickly grabbing it, I shove it in my mouth, nearly melting onto the floor.
I hear Bryan and William laughing as Emma regards me with a huge smile on her face. When I finally swallow enough that I can talk, I put my hand over my mouth. “My God, this is good.” My words are muffled around the bite of cake I’m still chewing, making Emma chuckle.
“I’m glad you like it so much, dear.” She pats my shoulder. “But if you are going to run, I wouldn’t suggest eating any more right now.”
I swallow the final bite, waving my hand dismissively. “I just needed a taste—for now.” I grab a napkin, certain I have chocolate on my lips. “I’ve gotta outrun Will on the treadmill, then I’ll be back for more.” I kiss her cheek, a look of surprise and pleasure on her face.
“You are going to outrun William?” Bryan’s voice makes me turn toward him, taking in his raised brows. “Have you seen him run?”
Once.But I didn’t actually see him running. I was too busy trying to escape and shocked as hell that he caught up so quickly and I never heard him come up behind me. “Well, no, I haven’t.” I look over at William, who leans against the doorjamb, his lips quirked up in a smirk.
Bryan takes a drink of water, then sets it on the table. “Thanks, mom,” he tells Emma as she slides a large piece of cake in front of him, then he quirks his eyebrow at me. “William is fast as hell. I’m pretty sure he can run a mile in about five minutes.”
I look over at William, impressed. “Seriously? Can you really run a mile that fast?”
He stares at me, taking in my expression. “Guess you are gonna find out, blondie.”
I pull on my ponytail, tightening the elastic tie in my hair. “It’s a good thing I took a big bite of Emma’s cake for some added sugar and energy.” I turn around, waving my fingers at Emma and Bryan, then head over to William. “Ready?”
He chuckles. “Let’s roll.” He grabs my hand, pulling me from the room. As I follow behind him, my eyes scan over the luxurious surroundings. “I’ve gotta admit, your house is amazing, Will.”
He glances at me over his shoulder, pride evident on his face. “Thanks.” He continues on, leading me up the stairs and to a door on the right side of the hallway. Pushing it open, he steps through, pulling me in after him. His eyes are on me as I turn in a slow circle, taking in the room full of exercise equipment.
“Holy crap.” I swallow hard. “This is… amazing.”
He chuckles. “Thanks.” He takes my hand, pulling me to a row of treadmills, then releases it. “Let me show you what you need to know about this treadmill.” Pulling the sweatshirt over my head, I quickly stretch, then head to one of the machines. Once I climb on he goes over all the buttons and what they do. Once he’s finished, he says, “Do you want to get a feel for using it before I hop on one?”
I’m shocked that he’s being so kind, although I recover quickly. “Sure.” Standing on the sides, I hit the buttons, starting out with a light walk, gradually increasing the pace. Satisfied that I know what I’m doing, I nod at him. “I’m ready. Prepare to go down, Will.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “How about some music?” He grabs a remote, presses a few buttons, and rock music fills the room. “I think I have a great running song.” He hops on the treadmill beside me, gazing down at the display and pressing a few buttons. As the belt starts moving, he starts walking, then hits a button and sets the remote in the cupholder.
